Sunday, January 15, 2006

Once again we see the fundamental conflict created when employers can hire a world market wages, and the nation wants to see nationals employed in the private sector while nationals are not willing to accept the same salary and working conditions as nonnationals.

PROs, public relations officers, are the representatives of employers in their dealings with the Ministry of Labour and other government ministries. Enforcement of emiratization of this job category would appear to be relatively easy - the MoL can simply refuse to deal with nonnational PROs.

Enforcement, however, is not so easy. At least one company has solved the problem by hiring a national PRO who only needs to report for work when the company needs a transaction with the MoL:

Another PRO for a major construction company said: "Our company pays a UAE national GRO Dh7,000 a month, but he refuses to stay in the office. We may call him only when we need transactions completed."

PROs said despite Tanmia training courses, it was difficult to find UAE nationals willing to work in their profession.